A lot of stuff on the ol’ radar that I haven’t addressed:
Chet gets a new contract. Navy’s athletic director and 2005 Bobby Dodd AD of the Year was inked through 2015. The Birddog Expert Analysis: Woot! I assume that there’s no explanation necessary for why this is a good thing.
The latest in the Caleb Campbell mess includes a Boston Globe piece that doesn’t include anything you haven’t already heard, except for the latest in ridiculous Caleb Campbell quotes:
“We all fight for freedom in different ways. Each in our own way.”
Someone please put a muzzle on this guy.
We also have an Examiner piece that calls Campbell “the anti-Tillman.” I said at the beginning of all this that comparisons to Pat Tillman were inevitable, and Bob Frantz’s column was only the latest in a long line articles that did so. Despite the headline, the column is fairly middle-of-the-road. At least until you get to a subtle dig at the end:
The merits of those arguments can be debated in perpetuity, and I will not attempt to bolster nor condemn any of them here. Rather, I prefer to let this story serve as a reminder to us all, on this solemn Memorial Day, of the extraordinary sacrifices made by so many men who either delayed or interrupted their professional careers in service to the greatest nation on earth.
Apparently Frantz doesn’t buy the idea that “we all fight for freedom in different ways.”
In contrast, ESPN’s Ivan Maisel writes about how former Navy football players are applying the lessons they learned on the gridiron to situations they face in the fleet. It’s a great illustration of the value of intercollegiate athletics at service* academies. And while one Ivan Maisel column won’t bring the sheer exposure that a season in the NFL would, in this instance it certainly provides a hell of a lot more substance.
Millen, who answers to the nickname “Moon,” said he relishes working with other former Midshipmen players.
“Most of the players I’ve seen tend to get along with each other, not just football players, but with other folks,” Millen said. “They interact well with others and play well as a team. I know that when I work with those guys, they’ve been through the same training I have. They’re competent in what they do. It’s sort of a litmus test, I guess, certainly for those of us that played. I know if I pull Ensign Diggs out to help me with something, I know what comes with that. … As a fellow ballplayer, there’s certainly more to him, and he walks in with a certain resume.”
That, dear readers, is what they call it the Brotherhood.
UNC fired John Haus, their head men’s lacrosse coach. Naturally, initial speculation as to who will replace him has centered around those with North Carolina ties… And one of the most successful lacrosse coaches who fits the bill is UNC alum Richie Meade. Fortunately, he doesn’t appear to be interested in leaving Annapolis:
Meade said yesterday he has not been contacted by North Carolina about the vacancy and was content at Navy.
“I’m very happy to be the head coach at the Naval Academy and hope to remain so,” Meade said. “I have no idea what direction North Carolina is going to go. I’m sure they will get a quality head coach because it’s a great school and a great program.”
Good news, because I don’t think my stomach can take another coaching change this year.
The MAC might expand to 14 teams by adding Western Kentucky and Temple in all sports. OK.
Army and Notre Dame might start playing again, according to the Times Herald-Record. OK.
And finally, in the realm of the absurd, we have the news that the Toronto Argonauts have signed Ross Weaver. As in the 2006 graduate of the Air Force Academy, Ross Weaver. Weaver has spent the last two years playing arena ball with the Colorado Ice. Now with the Argos, Weaver is serving the Air Force by tapping into previously untouched recruiting territory: Canada! It’s amazing nobody’s thought of this before!
Two years of arena football, and now Canada. We all fight for freedom in different ways!
Sometimes I think I’m the only sane person left.
The Birddog 
Welcome back to the fray tbd … You have been quite busy the past 24 hours!
GO NAVY!!!
It takes a seriously petty and bitter person to comment negatively on Ross Weaver’s barely-there pro football career. You try to liken his situation to Caleb Campbell’s, by suggesting that he has been (and will be) serving his active duty commitment as a football player/recruiter, instead of what he really does…working with missiles. Smarten up! First, the article you cited stated that Weaver played 2 seasons for the Ice, not 2 years as you wrote. There IS a difference. A cursory internet search shows that Weaver was stationed at Vandenberg AFB before being assigned to FE Warren AFB (Cheyenne) about a year ago (May, 2007). That’s when he began playing for the Ice. He played in 5 games in the 2007 season and 4 games this season (2008). It’s a good thing Weaver kept his day job, too. I understand the going pay for these guys is about $200 a game. You seem to want to bitch about those who fulfill their active duty requirement, as well as those who don’t, just so long as they’re from a different service academy. You are an embarrassment as long as you continue to whine and complain about WP and USAFA. Grow a pair!
this is a late comment, but have you seen the article in the latest ESPN the Magazine talking about that pitcher for Navy? Pretty interesting read…mainly about how his decision to stay in Annapolis for the rest of his college career has affected his potential for the draft later this month.
It wasn’t a comment about Weaver’s football career. It was about his military career. 2006 USAFA grads going to play football in Canada. Canada!! You’re right, that just screams “fulfilling active duty.”
As for the “different service academy” comment, did you not see the post about Mitch Harris? Grow a pair of eyeballs.
My eyeballs are just fine, thank you. The “air farce” tag is enough to let me know that I’m right on target saying that you disrespect the other service academies. I guess in your view, Annapolis is far superior to everyone else.
Oh don’t worry, it gets much worse than that.
Nice edit to your 6:53 comment. I tried to point out to you that Weaver has been fulfilling his military commitment thus far. You continue to disrespect him for doing that. I guess missiles have nothing to do with the military, right? How do you know that he doesn’t plan to continue his military work while playing and practicing for the Argonauts? He’s shown that he can handle the workload so far, and I don’t expect that will change just because he’ll be in Toronto. Like I said before, this is minor league football, at minor league pay. Two jobs are commonplace.
I didn’t edit anything that changed my point.
I’m sure there’s all kind of Air Force work to be done in Toronto. Good luck with that.
Hey, you’ve been the one insisting that Weaver hasn’t been fulfilling his military commitment thus far. Now that he’s at the two year point, it’s possible he’s being allowed to go on reserve duty. Not sure if it’s still active, but there used to be a reserve base in Niagara Falls, NY, which is about 1&1/2 hrs away from Toronto (by car). All I’m saying is that you seem to say it’s impossible for Weaver to do 2 jobs, and I’m trying to inform you that he’s been managing 2 so far, quite handily. I say more power to him. Unless you know the details of his contract, why are you counting him out?
So I should feel better if the Air Force lets him transfer to the reserves in order to play football in Canada? That’s supposed to prove me wrong about the Air Force? Are you kidding?
I’m saying that IF indeed the AF is letting him transfer to the reserves, then it shouldn’t bother you. It’s the policy, and has been for several years. I’m not making the policy…and you can feel badly about whatever policy you want. I also think you’re starting to prove my earlier point that you are being petty and bitter about this. Pardon me for thinking that you sound a little like a scorned woman, and if the USNA is as superior as you think it is, then it’s time to stop acting like a scorned woman. Not very becoming for someone who cares so deeply about the Naval Academy.
So if that’s the policy, then it shouldn’t bother me, but I can feel badly about whatever policy I want. But I can’t really feel badly about the policy, because if I do I’m petty and bitter. Makes sense!
Hey, it’s your blog. You can have the last word.
Fans of coherent thoughts everywhere rejoice.
tbd, … Like I posted earlier … WELCOME BACK!!!
Go Navy!!!
“college football fan” sounds a lot like AFRugger.